Jim Gordon has Passed On...

Sad news all the way around, was a big Jim Gordan fan and the people he seemed to lend his skills to, but never new that about him murdering his mother. Tragic. 

Great talent played with some of the best in the 60's and 70's unfortunately his dark side outweighs his amazing drum skills.

Jim Gordon had schizophrenia.  He was misdiagnosed, left untreated and suffered repeated psychotic episodes.  The killing of his mother was during one of these episodes.  It's a tragic story of a supremely talented musician.

RIP Eric J it’s a Black Pearl day for sure. Peace brother 

Never knew about his mother and his dying in prison.

Jim's is a sad tale of the effects of mental illness, but in the years before he was a musical giant.

RIP Jim.

Damn. I just got home from a day out and about, and saw the heading of this post in my emails. I’m sure there will shortly be remembrances about Jim from Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock (organist/singer/songwriter of Derek & The Dominos, player and singer on Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, both of which feature Jim on drums as well as piano on the coda section of "Layla"), Hal Blaine (the two of them worked together in the L.A. recording studios), Steve Winwood (Jim was for a time drumming in Traffic), many others.

To say Jim was a great drummer is a massive understatement. Whitlock actually considers Jim the best drummer Rock ’n’ Roll has produced. He’s certainly amongst the handful of greatest. Emitt Rhodes said to me that Jim was the best musician he ever worked with. Not just drummer, but musician. One reason for that is that Jim played drums as a musical instrument, not just a percussion one. Extremely musical, with impeccable taste.

In the early-2000’s I was contacted by a woman who had become obsessed with Jim (what is it about being a murderer that attracts women? ;-) . She had an ongoing relationship with him by phone and mail, and even visited him at the California prison (Vacaville) in which he has been incarcerated since 1984 (39 years in prison; can you imagine?). She had learned I own one of Jim’s Camco drumsets, and wanted to know all about it (that is one drumset I will never sell). I made sure to not give her any information that might lead her to me ;-) .

2 out of 3 ain't bad, as is said often.  The third one, well, read it for what it is.  

Plus Hal Blaine died a few years ago.

@rpeluso: Damn, did I forget that, or never knew?!

Great rock drummer. Superb style. Knew when and when not to hit the skins.  Sad story about the illness that caused his mother's death and put him away for life. He will be sadly missed. RIP Jim.

Wow, what a double edged sword this “obituary” has turned out to be. I must say I never knew anything about his life apart from music. Still, all I can say is I hope he earned salvation with time served. And that his name always made me so happy when included in the album credits. He had a distinct drumming “flavor” that added so much to the songs he sat in on.

Gods Grace Jim, thanks for the music

Great story, @bdp24 

@noromance: Here’s more details about it:

In the 1980’s, 90’s, and into the 2000’s there was a weekly buy & sell rag named The Recycler published in SoCal. It came out every Thursday morning, sold at convenience and liquor stores, and was full of everything you can think of that people were offering for sale. I like every other vintage drum collector/dealer and audiophile regularly checked it for bargains.

One Thursday there was a new ad: "FOR SALE: A set of Camco drums, formerly owned by Jim Gordon." I don’t recall the exact price, but it was more than I was interested in paying. I immediately called the number, interested in learning how the seller knew the set had been Jim’s. I already knew it was possible, as not that many guys were playing Camco’s, the one’s who were being mostly professionals, studio and Jazz drummers in particular. And each drum was the size Jim preferred: 24 X 14 bass drum, 16 x 16 floor tom, and 13 X 9 and 12 X 8 mounted toms. The owner told me he bought the building in which Jim stored some of his equipment, and that the old owner had told him the provenance of the contents of each room in the building. The Camco drumset had been stored in Jim’s locker since he had been arrested in 1983 for murdering his mother. What real estate investor would think to concoct such a story?!

He told me where the building was, and I was delighted to learn that location was right down Ventura Blvd. from my apartment in Sherman Oaks, in the San Fernando Valley of the L.A. area (Tom Petty, in "Free Fallin’": "And all the vampires, walkin’ through the valley, move West down, Ventura Blvd." The "vampires" were high school kids of the Goth persuasion, who could be seen walking home from school every weekday).

The owner said he was at the building, and to come on down if I wanted. I was there ten minutes later, and looked over the set of Camco’s. One thing I saw convinced me that the set had indeed belonged to Gordon: Camco’s were known for their unique proprietary drum shell design and construction, with interior "retaining rings" unlike anyone else’s. Well, this bass drum had no retaining ring (the toms all did), and had never had one (if one had removed there would be visible evidence). Camco would have made a custom bass drum only for a Camco endorser like Jim (he was pictured in all their ads). And very few guys were playing 24" bass drums in the 1970’s (mostly Rockers like Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham, and Carmine Appice), that size having gone out of fashion when the Big Bands died (only Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson continued playing that size kick). 24" is my preferred size as well, all my sets having that size bass drum.

Well yeah, I wanted the set! It took some doing, but I got it at a substantially reduced price. Jim’s stalker woman was VERY interested in obtaining the set, but finally gave up when it became evident that was never going to happen. Obviously one of my favorite vintage sets! (twenty of them, from the early-50’s through the early-70’s).

Nobody had better sounding drums than Jim Gordon. He was a master at drumhead tuning/tensioning, damping of the heads (to get rid of excessive "ring"), cymbal selection (I’d love to get a hold of some of his Zildjians!), how to hit the heads to get the best sound, etc. And then there was his playing! He played "for the song", his parts increasing the musical quality of every song he played on. Jim’s stalker told me she had talked to Jim Keltner, who was very critical of Gordon. Professional jealousy? ;-)

A few years later I saw a Recycler ad for ASC Tube Traps: 14 of them, sizes 9", 11", and 16". Ten bucks apiece! The seller had bought a house in Reseda (also mentioned in "Free Fallin’". Tom was a Valley Boy ;-), and found the Traps in the attic. Yeah, I bought them all. ;-)

Uhh guys, murdering your mum negates any musical prowess. Smh let's not celebrate a killer.

The jam sessions of all things must pass is some of Jim Gordon's best. However drumming is only a small part of life and history definitely won't remember him for that. 

Greg,

Mental. Illness. Not a “lifestyle choice”.  The tragedy is how poorly the medical profession and our society cope with the reality that some people are unbalanced and potentially dangerous to the people in their lives.  
By your reckoning we should also “erase” the Phil Spector “Wall of Sound” productions like Walking in the Rain, RiverDeep, Mountain High, and You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.  IMO it’s better to keep sight of the positive contributions of troubled people. Yeah, I know…John Wilkes Booth was a hell of an actor….

Great story bdp24. So sad to hear another of the great R&R drummers of that era passing on. Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, and John Bonham immediately come to mind. Like others, I’d no idea of his psych history and incarceration for killing his mother.

I’m sitting here thinking about that aspect, Back in the 1980’s I spent ten years working on and supervising Corrections psychiatric treatment and admissions units. Sadly his story would not sound unusual in that setting. I know nothing about the particulars of his case but wonder how much substance abuse contributed to his psychoses.

Typically schizophrenia manifests itself on it’s own in the late teenage, maybe early twenties years. Just a speculation, but Jim Gordon’s skill level as a drummer gets me to thinking he might have induced his psychosis later in life using drugs, well after his skill as a drummer had had a chance to fully develop. I understand from watching documentaries on Eric Clapton that substance abuse was rampant among the Derek and the Dominos group. Substance abuse and mental illness are a common mix and so often lead to the tragedy to his family, and himself, this gifted drummers life became.

Getting on drugs and becoming schizoid after is pure fault of the one getting on drugs, because drug addiction consequences are known to everyone including R/R drummers from LONG time ago.

Killing mother under influence of drugs or alcohol or consequential influence of schizophrenia is definitely punishable offense. Drugs or even drug dealers aren't guilty at all. The guilty one is whoever abused them to the point of psychological instability. Fortunately he was locked up and bothered no one with his occasional schizoid aggressions.  

@gregdude

Im 74+. I left home in 1966 at 17 (by 2 just months). My alcoholic mother would beat the crap  out of me for no cause other than she was an angry drunk. The night I left she was in my face (literally), screaming all manner of profanities. I finally snapped, and without realizing it, I pushed her into a corner with my hands around her neck, chocking her. Fortunately, I snapped out of it,pushed her away, grabbed my things and left. I lived out of my car for 30 days, bumming nights with friends. Never came back. I found similar aged boys on the streets with similar reasons, but mostly from alcoholic fathers

Derek and The Dominoes is one of the best Rock LPs in my opinion. Full of good music and great passion induced by talent, heart break, joy and lots of drugs. 
 Shortly after recording that album, the band toured. 
 Then, they broke up. Clapton went into hibernation and the band scattered. 
Jim Gordon went home to his mother’s house. Schizophrenia and drugs and lost in the universe, was a terrible place to be, especially after a year of hanging with The Dominoes (Bonnie and Delaney before that, who opened for Blind Faith. After that tour Clapton realized what a great band/family could be. Both bands broke up and The Dominoes came to be).
 I believe it was on that Blind Faith  tour that Clapton visited The Band at The Big Pink. He enjoyed the family vibe so much that Robbie Robertson jokes that he thought he was going to lose his job to Clapton. 
Skyscraper is right. 
 Jim Gordon was an excellent drummer musician. Never flashy. But always driving the song with tune, texture, finesse and time. 
bdp24, I feel you, man. I share your appreciation for such a wonderful musician. 
RIP Jim Gordon. 

Finally you get to rest in peace.  

@gregdude 

Well said Greg.  Illness is not an excuse to commit crimes, kill people, let alone your mother.  He was not found insane at trial. I don't understand why society praises and highlights POS people just because they are famous or had some success.  

From the article:  At times, he also would disappear on drug and alcohol binges.  

From what I’ve read, Jim’s drug use aggravated his mental illness, which had been long undiagnosed. According to Bobby Whitlock, Clapton and Jim did not get along, especially when they went on tour. After their first tour Whitlock remained in England (waiting for Clapton to come out of his own house---where he was shooting heroin---and start working on a second Derek & The Dominos album. When it bacame apparent to Bobby that that was not going to happen, he returned to the States, getting himself his own record deal.), living in one of Ringo’s houses.

Bobby and Keith Moon became drinking buddies, but when asked about playing music with Moon Whitlock said no, it was Bobby’s style of drumming that he preferred. Bobby had started out as a drummer, and loved that Southern "feel", also heard in the playing of Roger Hawkins, the drummer of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section/aka The Swampers.. To hear Roger’s drumming, listen to "Loan Me A Dime" by Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon album, or any of the Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett albums on Atlantic Records (Atlantic record producer Jerry Wexler took both to Muscle Shoals expressly to record with The Swampers). A master’s class in drumming!

Did ya’ll know that Jim Gordon and Roger Hawkins were for a time the 2-drummer rhythm section (along with fellow Swamper David Hood on bass) of Traffic? Seeing Jim and Roger playing together? Daaaaamn!

Czarivney. you stated "Fortunately he was locked up and bothered no one with his occasional schizoid aggressions." As a person who spent many decades working in Corrections, I can assure you the risk correctional staff live with being around such folk 24 hours a day, every day qualifies those brave staff as being way more than "no one".

No offense taken, but when dangerous people are incarcerated they don’t disappear, or no longer present a danger. That’s a common misperception. But try being around a whole institution of them on a daily basis, and in short order you’ll not feel that way any more. Sorry if I’ve gotten to far afield on this thread, but it struck a chord in my life.

@tweak1 all i can say is thank God you got out of that situation and I hope you are at peace. 

it took some psycho therapy and Adult Child of Alcoholic classes, but thanks. I came to peace with it long ago. I should have closed with that and don't criticize until you've walked a mile in their shoes

A great One. R.I.P.

I'd still categorize him as very good, but not great...that's a strong word; but we all have different tastes.

Jim Gordon was a brilliant drummer.

.........I read once that Jim Gordon along with girlfriend at that time ; Rita Coolidge wrote the piano / ending part of Layla. Rita was never given any credit and or royalties for her efforts on that part of the song. If anybody knows if that is in fact true, please chime in. 

I tried to play drums for 17 years and yes ;  Jim Gordon was a really good drummer. I enjoyed the way he approached them. A troubled but talented soul.....        

Whether the "Layla" story is true, I don't know, but it's been repeated many, many times.  The Delta Lady gives a detailed account in her autobiography.  Personally, I believe her.  A related story is that she broke off her relationship with Gordon because of physical abuse.

I always thought that the piano part added at the end of Layla sounded very unrelated to the rest of the song.

In one of his YouTube videos, Bobby Whitlock recounts the writing of the coda in "Layla". Go onto YouTube, do a search for Bobby Whitlock, and all his videos will become available for viewing. He's quite a character!

Hi guys, new to the group here. I’ve always been a big fan of Gordon, and about 7 or 8 years ago, I found a Camco Oaklawn in 24,12,13,16 sizes. Sizes that Jim had used at least at some point. This kit was modified to include a Yamaha tom mount and bass spurs, so it is very functional and was a dream come true for me.  It is in natural finish like Jim’s. 
 

Since the 24” Oaklawn bass drums are apparently very rare, I’ve often wondered if there might be any connection back to Jim himself. I guess I may never know, but either way, and incredible set of drums and a real piece of drumming history!

 I hadn't realized Gordon was in J. Browne's band 1978:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wF7zc_YK6A&list=RD9wF7zc_YK6A&start_radio=1

Congratulations @atlantadrumguy, you have a very desirable and cool drumset. I too have an Oaklawn (location of the original Camco factory) set in sizes 24/16/13/12 (in Jim’s natural walnut finish), but mine are actually one of Jim’s sets!

When Jim was incarcerated he left the set in a storage facility on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City (not far from his house on the north side of the Hollywood Hills). In the early-90’s a new owner of the property found the drumset in a locker, and listed it in The Recyler, a Los Angeles buy/sell weekly paper. I drove over to the building (I lived 5 minutes away) and laid $875 in the owners hands. One unusual detail about the set is that the 24" bass drum has no internal reinforcing ring, the only Oaklawn-era Camco set I’ve seen that way.

I also have another Oaklawn set in the same sizes (I own, collect, and play only 24" bass drums), but in Natural maple finish. They’re not from Jim’s collection.

@bdp24 

Great story as always. That's a great piece of memorabilia.

@roxy54: If the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall Of Fame ever does a Derek & The Dominos display, I’d loan them the set. I didn’t manage to see Jim play live, but his playing in the videos I’ve seen is just phenomenal. When I recorded with Emitt Rhodes in his studio he told me Jim was the best musician he ever worked with.

@bdp24

Amazing story and what a kit! I read some articles with Jim and in one of his interviews, he alluded to using a 24 and a 22. So I’m guessing that he actually owned multiple Camco sets with both a 24 and a 22. I’m a big fan of his playing and I consider him one of the great drummers. I came to learn about his playing a little later on, and I was sort of on the lookout for something like it when mine showed up.  I rarely see the 24” Oaklawns appear. So you have some rare kits. Seems to be easier to find 24s of the LA era. 

My “Jim” style Camco is perfect for the Delaney and Bonnie or Derrick and the Dominoes vibe. I’m not a recording guy, just a hobbyist who enjoys playing and gigs here and there. But it would be amazing in the studio I’m certain. 
 

I have a collection of other American vintage kits as well. Just stuff I’ve found over time, and had the chance to play nearly all of them on a gig at one time or another. I can’t figure out how to post pics here, otherwise I’d show some. 60s Ludwigs, Gretsch, Rogers blue onyx 20,12,14 (the 14s are raw as hen’s teeth). 
 

One of the Ludwigs is a 60s silver sparkle super classic (all original), and have the extra 16” tom for the Mitch Mitchell thing. 

@bdp24 

Well, I guess you know that Mitch Mitchell was my boy, but I'll give you that Jim had chops, and I always enjoy his playing on The Notorious Byrd Brothers disc, which is one of my faves.

Yes, I’m a big fan of Mitch myself! I have the 60s lm400 as well. 
And a variety of vintage A and K Zildjians.

I should have clarified, my Camcos are the darker wood finish (walnut?), and look just like the ones on the Derek and the Dominos footage. 

@atlantadrumguy: The reason 24" Los Angeles-era Camco’s are more common than Oaklawn (Illinois) and Canute (Kansas)-era 24’s is that LA-era drumsets were made in the 1970’s, when 24’s were coming into favour by Rock drummers like Mitch Mitchell, Carmine Appice, John Bonham (on the first USA tour; he shortly thereafter played 26’s exclusively), Johnny Barbata (a fabulous drummer. The Turtles, CSN & Y, Jefferson Airplane and Starship, L.A. studios), and Dino Danelli (The Young Rascals).

24" kick drums had been favoured by Big Band drummers for years, players like Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Rock drummers who started playing 24’s were all very Jazz-influenced. By the way, Buddy particularly liked the playing of Barbata, following his career. Give a listen to his playing on The Turtles "Elenore", "Happy Together", and "She’d Rather Be With Me". Fantastic! Buddy also approved of the playing of Bobby Colomby (early-Blood, Sweat, & Tears).

By the way, my AudiogoN handle includes "24" in honor of my love of that size bass drum. Drummers (at least those with knowledge of vintage drums) will know what "bdp" is used in honor of.

An afterthought:

What I especially love in the playing of Jim Gordon and Johnny Barbata is---in addition to being very tasteful and musical, their drum parts being played in service to the song---the element of intelligence. Smart drumming? Yes, exactly. I can’t define what that is, but I know it when I hear it. I don’t think it’s a secret that the drummer is commonly the least intelligent musician in a band.

Here’s what a 24" (by 14" deep) kick with 13 x 9 and 16 x 16 toms looks like. The (southpaw) drummer is playing a set of early-70’s Slingerland drums (love the dual set of bass drums spurs, standard on 24" Slingerlands), with a 14 x 6-1/2"  chrome-over-brass Ludwig snare drum. Bonham’s first Ludwig set with a 24 was finished in green sparkle, and he always played a 14 x 6-1/2" metal (or amber Vistalite) Ludwig snare drum.

https://youtu.be/idUFG9RPswg?si=GRpNVxZcrFg0IXj8

For you fans of instrumental bands, this drummer replaced the band’s former drummer (Pete Curry), who left to join Los Straitjackets (but on bass, not drums).